'Nobody heard us, explosion of rage': Gen Z in Europe explain reason behind protests

Protests, sometimes evolving into riots, have swept Europe from the west to the east as ‘Gen-Z’, a term typically used to refer to those born between 1997 and 2012, have taken to the streets over varying demands that all address a common issue: an impending cost-of-living crisis.A woman holds a sign reading "They are afraid of our strength" during a protest against the housing shortage, soaring rents and low wages in front of the Portuguese Parliament in Lisbon. (AFP)From the luxury boutiques of Italy to the public squares of Portugal, at least six European countries have been subjected to the fury of the youth. Confronted with a grim future and uncertain growth, a large chunk of these protestors see no way forward except to take to the streets in large numbers and place their demands directly before their respective governments.Also Read | Violent clashes, slogans, tear gas and blaze: Another weekend of unrest sweeps Europe“If we burn, you burn with us!”Despite multiple manifestations and causes fueling public anger in Europe, the common thread seems to be an urgent demand for change. Chiara, a 21-year-old student in protest-hit Milan, believes “it's vital to take part in people's spontaneous movements born from an explosion of rage that made collective action possible.”"I think the worst damage this ruling class has done to my generation is stealing even the ability to imagine a future, to dream," she told Reuters.Thousands of Italians, mostly young individuals, believe the system is crippled with stagnant education, crumbling infrastructure, and a steeply rising cost of living.“And all of this with the prospect of an underpaid job which we didn't qualify for and the prospect of living in a tiny, overpriced house, probably away from our city, which we didn't want to live in," Chiara adds.As per a European Union Survey, rising prices and the cost of living are a concern for 40% of 16-30-year-olds. Among the 92.7 million people in the EU at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2025, the highest risk was among young adults aged 18-24 years, at 26.3%, while the lowest was among adults aged 65 years or over, at 18.8%.In certain instances, the protests have taken a violent turn, and hundreds of shops were looted across France in demonstrations held on October 17. Similar looting was observed in Italy's major cities, while protestors in Albania burned down several government buildings in their demand for Prime Minister Edi Rama to step down on charges of alleged corruption.This anger is perhaps best reflected in a slogan made by Maya Gourdel, a 19-year-old student in Brussels, which reads “If we burn, you burn with us!” The line was taken from the 2012 film ‘Hunger Games’.“We tried to do it passively. Nobody heard us. It's only when people started to burn trash or that kind of stuff that the media and cameras started showing us,” she told Reuters.The unrest currently shows no signs of slowing down as a demonstration has been planned in Germany for this weekend over the cost of living, inequality, war and the state of schools.At least six European countries affectedFrance, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Albania, and Serbia have so far played host to youth unrest spreading across Europe. In France, the movement predominantly started as a demand by high school students for higher education spending, renovation of crumbling school buildings, and reforms in the Parcoursup admissions process.The movement gradually spread to include trade unions and the ‘Gilets Jaunes’ protestors as well, addressing a rising cost of living amid stagnant economic growth in the country.Interior minister Laurent Nuñez said nearly 1,000 people had been arrested during the October 24 march in major cities such as Paris, Marseille, Lille, Nantes and Bordeaux, while authorities deployed 70,000 security personnel across the country, AFP reported.Also Read | From Spain to Albania, anger over economic pressures spills onto streets across Europe Although the main Paris march passed largely peacefully, clashes erupted as demonstrators dispersed. Police also faced confrontations in other cities, while some shops boarded up their windows amid fears of looting.Italy too has faced a similar situation in recent weeks as riot police forces try to manage protests demanding better education, political accountability and opposition to government policies. Last weekend, an additional 500 soldiers were deployed to Milan along with tougher penalties for violent acts involving minors.Albania's protests started months ago with a movement known as the ‘Flamingo Revolution’, which opposed the development of a luxury coastal resort associated with Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, on protected islands. The movement has since flared up into a larger threat against Prime Minister Rama's government, calling for lower tuition fees, greater state investment in education and action against alleged corruption.Portugal and Spain likewise have seen protests against a housing crisis as people demand caps on rent increases and more structure to accommodate people. A housing protest camp in Lisbon's Rossio Square was cleared early last Sunday by cops, spurring a march by thousands of people. The country faces a key dilemma as the Bank of Portugal estimates that the country faces a shortfall of 300,000 homes, equivalent to Lisbon's entire housing stock. Spain, on the other hand, also saw marches by retirees against proposed cuts in the country's public pension system.Serbia is perhaps the most blatant example of a student movement being able to gain direct involvement in accessing power. The results of a snap parliamentary election held on Sunday gave a decisive victory to a students' list of candidates, which replaced the country's long-serving President Aleksandar Vucic on charges of alleged corruption.